Nelson Cruz Didn’t Use PEDs To Improve His Vertical Leap [GIF]

Thanks to Nelson Cruz’s 7th inning-homer, the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 2-1, on Opening Day at Camden Yards on Monday.

Cruz was a late addition to Birdland, signing with the O’s for $8 million nearly a month into spring training. He came to Baltimore with baggage: Cruz was suspended for the final 50 games of the 2013 season as one of the players accused of using performance enhancing drugs in MLB’s Biogenesis investigation.

After Monday’s win, the Orioles’ outfielders celebrated with their traditional “victory leap.” Cruz didn’t soar as high as the other Birds (Nick Markakis and Adam Jones) above.

Let’s hope he never has to try to rob a home run ball at OPACY.

In another interesting aside from the game, Cruz’s new teammates celebrated his game-winning homer with a real pie to his face (crust and all). None of that shaving cream ish on Opening Day. Let’s hope this become a trend — and that the O’s find a pie sponsor, stat.